


divine secrets

by halfwheeze



Series: Winteriron Bingo 2019 (Round 1) [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Winter Soldier are Different Personalities, Bucky and Winter's Separate Netflix Accounts, Chick-Flick Moments, Fluff, Heinous Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Other, Pining Tony Stark, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-27 11:30:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18194018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halfwheeze/pseuds/halfwheeze
Summary: “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” James says if someone even mentions the movie in passing, leaving a pause as if whatever he is about to say is of the utmost importance, “is a fucking masterpiece.”





	divine secrets

**Author's Note:**

> Fill for my Winteriron Bingo space G5 - "Chick-lit!"

James and Winter have very, very different tastes in media. Tony has observed this through consuming media with both of them, witnessing debates between Winter and Clint on certain topics, watching James and Steve talk about the differences between genres of now and genres of back when they went to the movies whenever they could scratch two dimes together. There are even discussion that Tony himself has had a seat at the table for when he's setting up something on Winter or James's phone, whether it be their separate Netflix accounts (Winter likes to put things on James's list if he has the access, and what is another ten dollars to Tony Stark?) or setting up different games when they were first navigating their way through different games and set ups. 

Winter likes to watch people be bad at things. He likes comedy movies, buddy cop films, kung fu movies that everyone and their mom would agree are badly written. He likes blood that he can tell immediately is fake, loving to watch the spray of blood from a place that's about two centimeters away from the carotid artery, actually, and that's not how you would strike that at all, and  _ why do these people never run in a zigzag pattern? _

James likes things that Tony's mom would have loved. He likes chick flicks and things with pretty girls in it where they find all kinds of love, in themselves and in others and being themselves, he likes to watch women become happy. When asked, James mutters something about little sisters, something quick about how he hopes that Becca found something like this, and no one ever asks twice. Even Clint just sat down next to him on the couch,  _ Maid in Manhattan _ playing on the screen, casually and calmly watching a J-Lo movie that came out over a decade ago. 

There are, however, movies that James has hilariously strong opinions on. These are the ones that wander away from rom-com and immediately into Chick-Lit; James loves movies like  _ Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants  _ and _ Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood  _ like most people love children, and he's watched all of the chick-lit he can find multiple times a piece. Tony is about two more watches of  _ Divine Secrets _ away from buying a filming company and some writers so he can start making new ones himself. However, something tells him James would still react the same way to questions about his all-important  _ Ya-Ya.  _

_ “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” _ James says if someone even mentions the movie in passing, leaving a pause as if whatever he is about to say is of the utmost importance, “is a fucking masterpiece.” 

The only people who can keep up with him on the chick-lits are Darcy Lewis, Loki, and Tony himself. Darcy has apparently owned at least one copy of every chick-lit movie made since she was approximately five years old, being as she loves a badass woman, even that badass woman spends her time being badass in a kitchen with a husband and kids. In fact, if the implication is made that a woman is less badass in any way when she's of those circumstances, there's a ten yard rant that Darcy and James will go on together, packing in the double whammy of Darcy's horrible mouth with James's death glare. 

Loki, if present, will just charm someone into silence, mutter something about how nothing in the nine worlds was worth letting even a senator be a misogynist, and he'll talk about it with Rogers lately if he must. One memorable occasion, the god slipped into her more feminine guise in the middle of a conversation rather than letting someone continue to act as if being a woman was an experience she was completely separate from, and, according to Lady Loki, the lecture she got from Steve was completely worth it. 

Back to James, and his opinion of rom-coms and chick-lit movies, though. 

This is an important subject because Tony is a fucking idiot. 

Well. He's actually a genius - it's right there in his personal listing you know, genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist. Unfortunately, the smarts are all in Tony's head, and never in his heart or somewhere lower, because the heart parts just wanna take care of people even when it's a shit idea, and the somewhere lower parts, well. That's not important, is it? 

Tony has a personally sustained listing of all of the chick-lit movies that James likes, and James's birthday was a few days ago.Tony was in California for the actual day of, caught up in some SI bullshit that Pepper needed his signature for, and Tony had had something delivered, but this is a bit more personal. It's a bit more stupid too, but that's pretty much par for the course for Tony's more personal efforts. 

He has a copy of each of the books that James's favorite movies are based off of, all in pristine new copies with signatures and pretty textures and there's a blanket under them that's just as soft as James likes things, and it's all too much. Loki has already made fun of him for it - he doesn’t know how a trickster god made his way into Tony’s top five friends, but Loki sure does love to make fun of him for breathing. All of the gifts for James are in a basket, and there’s another basket beside it and Tony doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know if this is a good idea, and his palms are sweating. 

The other basket has a small collection of knives in it, gleaming silver, atop a few books that are in full Russian with a more woolen blanket beneath them. Winter has shown an affinity for all things Russian and German, and he's on a Russian kick right now like nobody's business. There are also Russian films among the books, new and old alike because he knows how much Winter loves a good classic, and Tony is so fucked. He's buying separate gifts for Winter and James and buying to their preferences and Tony knows who he is. He should just sprinkle the gifts in among regular interactions so it's less obvious, but they're already in baskets, all prettied up with a ribbon. 

Even the ribbons are different; James has one that is a pretty blue, and Winter's is black and white that's striped like a candy cane. It's not great to think about the fact that this also isn't completely unprecedented. 

Tony gets different orders for if Winter is eating with them or if James is. He plays different music in the lab depending on which one of them is getting work done on the arm, sets the lighting there different as well. Winter likes neutral foods, used to protein shakes and bars, while James appreciates spicy foods because it's something he could never afford, likes sweets because they remind him of some home that is now out of reach. Winter likes classical, while James is more classic rock. Winter is calmer with the lights a little dimmer, looking more like a HYDRA lab, while James quakes at even the mention. 

Tony is always making concessions for them and he doesn't know how to say the words and walk the walk to admit that he wants both of them. That he thinks he could... love both of them. Maybe it would be easier if he just wanted James, good, smiley James who laughs out loud and grabs food for Tony before he comes down to the lab. Or maybe it would be easier if Tony just wanted Winter, Winter who always makes sure he feels safe and fights away Tony's fears by delivering fast facts, offering to stand sentry if Tony so much as suspects some sort of danger. 

He tries not to put too much hope into the fact that Winter is not kind, but he is kind to Tony. He tries not to put too much hope into the fact that James is usually so sad, but he smiles so much when he knows Tony is in the room. 

Maybe he's just dreaming when he thinks he notices that. Maybe he's just dreaming when he thinks Winter wants to hold his hand when he stands too close, when he hovers over Tony's shoulder, when he is so careful about keeping just this shade of distance. 

Maybe it's all just wishful thinking. 

His hands are shaking when someone enters the lab, and Tony silently curses FRIDAY for the lack of warning. He doesn't look up, rearranging Winter's blanket a little so that it better covers the bottom of the basket. He doesn't want to look up. It's likely either James or Winter, as they're the ones that come and check on Tony the most, and he doesn't want this conversation right now. He doesn't want either of them to see the gifts and come to the correct conclusion, because Tony doesn't want to admit how he feels. Even if Winter and James are two of the people in the world who need to hear that they are loved most. 

He's still looking at the floor when a metal forefinger tilts his chin up. Winter, then. James never begins things with his metal hand, preferring the warmth of his flesh touch. 

Tony tries not to hate that he knows that, even as he's forced to look Winter in the face. It's obvious that it's Winter by expression as well, the slow contemplation of the steely look that's aimed at Tony as well as the hard set of the man's mouth, unwilling to openly compromise any information that Winter could keep behind his teeth, and James does not make these expressions. James is open and clear with who he is and he always smiles when he's first looking at Tony because he doesn't want Tony to think he's mad and Tony loves that. Most people don't realise how quickly that Tony assumes someone is angry with him, and James just knows. Tony bites his lip and waits for Winter to speak. He doesn't want this to come any faster than it absolutely has to. 

"Antoshka," Winter says, quiet and fond in a way that only the former Winter Soldier could be, and Tony curses his heart as it skips a beat. He likes the nicknames that Winter gives him; the only other person that Winter drops a nickname on is Natasha, whom he calls Natalia or Natashka, but no one else. Winter has explained that he's known her since she was just a little thing, and Tony wonders how he climbed the ranks so quickly to sit on a pedestal no one else could lay claim to. Tony looks at Winter and waits, but Winter doesn't say another word. 

"Hey Snowflake," Tony says, and his voice breaks, but it's not important. Winter is still holding his face as he looks down at the baskets, and that's the only reason why Tony doesn't move to hide in some way, whether that be to press his face into the lapels of Winter's leather jacket or to turn away entirely. He doesn't know which one he would rather do at this point. 

"For us?" Winter asks. He barely refers to himself and James as even remotely similar, and it warms Tony, just a bit, to think that this is something Winter finds himself amiable to. That's wishful thinking just like the rest, of course. It only takes a minute movement to nod his head, so Tony does. He doesn't know if he can trust his voice. 

"Antoshka," Winter says again softly, almost reverent, and Tony does not let himself hope until Winter's lips are against his, just so soft as the soldier's voice, and Tony laces his fingers through Winter's hair. 

It's an experience that everyone should have at least once in their life, Tony thinks, kissing someone and feeling like they're coming home. Kissing Winter is both the same and different from what occupies Tony's wildest dreams; Winter is not forceful, not what Tony expected in that respect, but he is firm, makes Tony feel like he's being claimed, like he is something worth claiming. He feels like he's going to melt out of his skin, like he's going to cry, like he's going to lose his mind. They're standing and Tony doesn't realise that they were moving until he's pressed against one of the walls, his back pressed against metal and his body caged by one metal arm and one flesh and bone, both strong enough to both keep Tony in and keep anyone else away. 

"Winter," Tony whispers, pulling away from the kiss. As much as he wants this to continue for the rest of the night (for the rest of his life), there are certain questions that need to be answered first. Instead of being aggressive in his intentions as Tony half expected (kissing down his neck to keep him quiet, holding him close still in this moment of non-intimacy, holding him in place), Winter gives him a half step of room, almost as if he expects Tony to reject him entirely. It's not even a thought in Tony's head, truly. 

"Tony, I -" Winter starts, but Tony holds up a hand. 

"I hope you are not about to apologize for the best kiss of my life," Tony says, soft smile that's half self-deprecating, because they both now how many kisses Tony has had in his life. There's not a solid count, not something that anyone really knows, and Tony knows that he's not always been that good of a man, even if his promiscuity rarely had anything to do with his quality as a human being (more, it was the people he hurt along the way, but he pushes that down). 

"Just," Tony begins, "Is James okay with this? You're your own man, of course, but it's James's body too after all, and I don't want to -" Tony is cut off by a sudden shift that he recognises in the way that the man in front of him holds himself, and he's looking at James. 

"Winter thought this was quicker," James says, giving Tony a smile that glows, and then he's kissing Tony as well. It's so soft, hands cupping Tony's face instead of his hips like Winter was, and Tony melts into this man as well. It doesn't matter the difference (except in all of the ways that it does, in all of the ways that he loves both of them without relent, the way that he finds himself tripping over loving both of them at once), because Tony loves it all. He melts into it all, because the strength of someone holding him up that he knows would never drop him, would never let him be hurt, is heady. It's the kind of rush that Tony could die with, though he'll never say that to James. Maybe to Winter. 

"You both want me?" Tony asks as he pulls away, because it's too much to believe all at once. The two of them are so beautiful in such different ways, with James's soft smile and Winter's wide eyes when Tony makes something explode in a way he wasn't expecting, and Tony can't trust it. He shouldn't trust it, but James is cupping his face, putting a kiss between his eyes like he can hardly help himself, and Tony wants to cry all over again. 

He's a Stark. Stark men are made of iron, but Winter and James are made of something else, and maybe the fire and the ice are worth just as much as the iron and steel that Tony's spine is supposed to be made of, because he just wants both of them close. It's running away from him how much he wants both of them close. 

"Of course we do, Tony. How couldn't we?" James asks, another kiss making its way to the corner of Tony's mouth, and Tony feels like glass. He feels like something divine. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! If you want to prompt me, you can hit me up @halfwheeze on tumblr or in the comments!


End file.
